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2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

120 Ranked Colleges
11,273 Degrees Awarded
$7,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 3rd of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 559,661 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $26,786 and had an average of $16,538 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southeast region, there were 159,457 liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates with average earnings and debt of $24,231 and $16,248 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 11,273 liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 120 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences and humanities. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the liberal arts / sciences and humanities program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools

The liberal arts / sciences & humanities school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region

#10 in overall quality

Out of the 120 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. USF Tampa is a large school located in Tampa, Florida that handed out 260 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

USF Tampa also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $3,950 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at USF Tampa

#11 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Central Florida. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Central Florida is located in Orlando, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

UCF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UCF is $6,211 for southeast region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at UCF

#3

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend North Carolina State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. North Carolina State University is a public institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k list, NC State has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NC State is $7,285 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full North Carolina State University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#22 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Florida International University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. FIU is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 368 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at FIU, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Florida International University is $5,002 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at FIU

#5

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 120 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Emory University landed the #5 spot on the list. Emory is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 12 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Emory also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $11,468 for southeast region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Emory.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Emory University

#6

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia
#1 in overall quality

American Public University System came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. American Public University System is a large private for-profit school situated in Charles Town, West Virginia. It awarded 118 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k list, American Military University has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for American Public University System is $10,013 for southeast region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at American Public University System

#7

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#20 in overall quality

Florida State University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 107 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k list, Florida State has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Florida State University is $5,360 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Florida State Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#8

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Highland Heights, Kentucky, and it awarded 92 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northern Kentucky University is $4,156 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Northern Kentucky University

#9

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia
#9 in overall quality

University of Richmond ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Richmond is a small private not-for-profit school situated in University of Richmond, Virginia. It awarded 8 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k list, URichmond has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Richmond is $9,112 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full URichmond Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#10

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida
Top 25% in overall quality

Florida Atlantic University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Boca Raton, Florida, this large public school handed out 137 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Florida Atlantic University is $6,085 for southeast region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Florida Atlantic University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#11

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee
#17 in overall quality

Middle Tennessee State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Middle Tennessee State University is a large school located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee that handed out 219 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Middle Tennessee State University, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Middle Tennessee State University is $8,919 for southeast region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Middle Tennessee State University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

West Virginia University Institute of Technology came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. West Virginia University Tech is located in Beckley, West Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend West Virginia University Tech is $8,142 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at West Virginia University Institute of Technology

#13

Marshall University

Huntington, West Virginia

With a ranking of #13, Marshall University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Marshall University is a public institution located in Huntington, West Virginia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 195 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Marshall University is $5,770 for southeast region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Marshall University

#14

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Mississippi ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in University, Mississippi, this large public school handed out 126 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Ole Miss is $9,455 for southeast region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at University of Mississippi

#15

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Greensboro ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Greensboro, North Carolina, this fairly large public school awarded 144 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Greensboro is $8,853 for southeast region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at UNC Greensboro

#16

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia
#14 in overall quality

West Virginia University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Morgantown, West Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 331 students in 2019-2020.

WVU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $9,213 for southeast region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend West Virginia University.

Full WVU Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#17

McNeese State University

Lake Charles, Louisiana

With a ranking of #17, McNeese State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. McNeese State University is a public institution located in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 127 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend McNeese is $11,892 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at McNeese

#18

Fayetteville State University

Fayetteville, North Carolina

Fayetteville State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fayetteville, North Carolina is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 60 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Fayetteville State University is $4,330 for southeast region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Fayetteville State University

#19

Shepherd University

Shepherdstown, West Virginia

Shepherd University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, this small public school handed out 85 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Shepherd University is $8,068 for southeast region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Shepherd University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

With a ranking of #20, Louisiana State University - Alexandria did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Alexandria, Louisiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 61 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,487 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Louisiana State University - Alexandria.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Louisiana State University - Alexandria

#21

University of North Georgia

Dahlonega, Georgia

University of North Georgia landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UNG is a fairly large school located in Dahlonega, Georgia that handed out 41 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of North Georgia is $7,650 for southeast region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at University of North Georgia

With a ranking of #22, Potomac State College of West Virginia University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Keyser, West Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 48 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Potomac State College of West Virginia University is $6,615 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Potomac State College of West Virginia University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

Louisiana State University - Shreveport landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Louisiana State University - Shreveport is located in Shreveport, Louisiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 53 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Louisiana State University - Shreveport is $8,200 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Louisiana State University - Shreveport Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#24

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia

With a ranking of #24, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Athens, Georgia, this large public school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UGA is $7,541 for southeast region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at UGA

Top 25% in overall quality

University of Louisiana at Lafayette ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Lafayette, Louisiana, this fairly large public school handed out 325 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Louisiana at Lafayette is $9,621 for southeast region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UL Lafayette Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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